The Glenwood City Council has reversed its position on raising its cable television franchise fee.

After more than 30 minutes of comment and discussion last Tuesday, Nov. 24, the council voted in favor of the first reading of an ordinance that will raise the franchise fee the city charges Mediacom, Glenwood’s cable television provider, from the current rate of 3 percent to 5 percent. The fee hike was voted down by a 3-2 margin in October but council members Kay LeFever and Susan Hirschman had a change of heart when the issue was brought forward again last week.

Glenwood Community School District residents could be going to the polls on Groundhog Day (Feb. 2) for a new vote on an Instructional Support Levy (ISL).

At a special meeting, Monday, Nov. 16, the Glenwood Board of Education took the first step to bring the ISL back to the vote of the people. The board passed a resolution of intent to participate in the ISL and scheduled a public hearing for Monday, Dec. 14, at 5:30 p.m. A final decision to put the ISL to a public vote won’t be made until after the public hearing.

The Glenwood City Council will revisit a proposal to generate revenue by raising the franchise fee charged to Mediacom, the city’s cable television provider. The matter will be discussed at a public hearing next Tuesday evening, Nov. 24, at City Hall.

Last month, the council voted 3-2 against raising the fee from 3 percent to 5 percent.

Former city council person and Mills County Sheriff's Deputy Kim Clark has defeated two-term incumbent mayor Dyle Downing in municipal elections held throughout the county today.

Clark received 364 votes (61 percent) to Downing's 230 (38.5 percent) in Tuesday's vote. Clark received more than 58 percent of all votes cast in Glenwood's three Wards. She earned her biggest support in Ward 1 where she garnered nearly 70 percent of cast ballots.

A Mills County adult is among the latest victims of the H1N1 influenza virus.

The Mills county resident, who was listed only as a male, in the Iowa Department of Public Health release, is the first in the county to die from the virus. The state lists the Mills County death with three other death in Dubuque, Polk and Monona counties in last Wednesday's press release. All but one individual had medical conditions that increased the risk of complications, according to the press release. The latest death brings the state's death toll to 11.

R. Scot Booth is the new superintendent of the Glenwood Resource Center.

But in a previous life, some 35 years ago, Booth was a star right-handed pitcher at Long Island University who turned down a contract offer with the Texas Rangers to pursue another dream: advocating for special education students in the New York Public Schools.

“I have the same passion for this job and this world as I did on that mound 35 years ago trying to strike somebody out,” said the Brooklyn-born Booth. “I'm an advocate and advocates are passionate people.”

The Glenwood City Council has pulled the plug on a proposal to generate additional revenue for the city’s general fund by raising cable television fees.

Glenwood City Administrator / Finance Director Mary Smith told council members that based on figures from the 2008 calendar year, over $12,000 could be generated annually if the city were to raise the franchise fee it collects from Mediacom from the current rate of 3 percent to 5 percent.